Welcome to Back to the Future. With more than 20 years of experience working in the tech industry, our offices are packed full of historic tech “treasures” just asking for their day back in the fluorescent lights. So we’ve decided to give them their second chance. Check back every month for our homage to the past tech that changed our lives, or at least made us think it would change our lives.
In the second feature of our Back to the Future series, we take a look at a device that has literally changed the world. While it may not be quite as old as some of the relics you’ll find in our halls, Motorola’s Ultra Classic line of mobile phones was literally the game changer in cellular technology. The first phone to be considered truly “portable,” the Motorola Ultra Classic was a game changer and attracted consumers from marketing CEOs like M/C/C’s own Mike Crawford to high school students such as everyone’s favorite troublemaker Zach Morris.

The Motorola Ultra Classic finally got people out-and-about while talking – even if it was only for a couple of minutes at a time due to incredibly high voice rates.  No longer were you pulled over on the side of the road or sitting in a parking lot tethered to your car’s cigarette lighter. Now you could be at a restaurant, decide to make a phone call and three minutes of unpacking later you were ready to dial!
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The Motorola Ultra Classic came with some truly inspiring features as well. In addition to just calling someone, you could create a directory to auto-dial from (up to 99 entries), setup “Super Speed” dialing and have call timers. I bet you’re regretting that iPhone 4 purchase now, aren’t you?
For those who are still interested, you can pick up one of these beauties for just around $200. I know what you’re thinking, “That’s the same price as a new iPhone or Motorola Droid!” Yes, yes it is, but you get the added benefit of not having to sign a two-year contract (assuming you can actually find a way to get service) and you get the confidence of knowing your phone is truly unique.

Clayton demonstrates how to
carry the Ultra Classic with style

Trust me, you’ll turn quite a few heads when you bust this bad boy out at the next Metroplex Technology Business Council luncheon and start attaching the antenna. Of course, the downside is that there’s a pretty big possibility you’ll poke the person next to you in the eye once you’ve attached the antennae.